by Hamid, Dean
Her head took two slugs. Ed gasped in horror because he hadn’t yet reached his gun. He looked up and it was Curtis. “Didn’t know if you could do it. Figured I’d check on you. I’m glad I did.”
He reached for his arm to help him up. “Nothing… personal.”
He looked at the downed body that once was Kalene. A woman he thoroughly had love for and said, “Nothing personal.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jeremiah tossed Kalene’s body over the side. He attached some pipe to it to keep it from floating back up top or even drifting to the shore. Ed couldn’t do it or even watch. He stayed below deck.
Now, the plan was to make it back to the City and find some supplies. They didn’t have too many ideas on where to go, not being familiar with the area, so Curtis suggested that they stay close and not go too far.
Jeremiah docked the boat at the same landing they came on. He asked about the bus. Ed and Curtis almost completely forgotten about what happened earlier when they spotted someone had gotten on the bus “Okay, that means we’re not alone. So, be careful,” he said.
The streets were quiet as they crossed Second Avenue. Looking both ways and cautiously taking their time, Curtis pointed towards a store on the corner. A Korean market. Ed nodded and they started over that way. They started walking in the street with their guns pointed out, looking around them while keeping their eyes on the roof tops as they approached. They got to the front of the store and Ed went in first. It was empty. No dead bodies, which was different.
They continued on with their mission. Ed scanned the back area and spotted some can goods. He pointed Curtis over towards the utilities section. There wasn’t much in regards to the picking, but Curtis looked for other much needed hard goods. Knives. Rope. Even first-aid supplies. Ed started stuffing his bag with canned food: the occasional Ramen noodles and stuff like that.
After spending a considerable amount of time there searching, they were ready to leave. Getting their bags together, they headed out the door. They needed to be extra careful so that they wouldn’t be caught off guard and have to leave some things behind. So far, everything was good.
Jeremiah tried getting a lead on some movement out on the pier he’d seen. He searched around with some binoculars and couldn’t find anyone. But, then, after a while, he didn’t need any. It had become clear. Creatures. They were coming out of hiding and started huddling together along the pier area. As if they were waiting. Waiting for someone. “Ahhh hell! Those sons of bitches are waiting for Curtis! Ed!” he shouted.
He pressed the bullhorn, trying to send an alarm to them but, they’d already seen what it was. They were already in hiding about a block away, watching. Trying to come up with a plan.
“What the hell do we do?”
“Don’t really know, Curtis.” He checked the clip he had attached to the AK-47 he carried and said, “We don’t have enough ammo to kill them all.”
Curtis said, “We have to get to the ferry.” He pointed to it. “If we could somehow let Jeremiah know. He could come closer this way towards us and well. Swim the rest of the way.”
“What about the supplies?”
“We take what we can. The essentials. Hell, we don’t have much of a choice.” Curtis sighed.
Jeremiah kept watch. He looked around the pier in a frantic search for Ed and Curtis, but didn’t see them. The creatures had started to become more agitated, sensing something. He knew he had to find Ed and his brother. Something was going down.
He knew he couldn’t dock. In the time it would take, it would just draw them to that location. And then hope that they were at that spot. He had to find them and possibly get close enough to throw a lifeline or something to them. But, it seemed like those creatures knew that as well. They started spreading out, not giving him a break or a way in. The boat was just too big and cumbersome to maneuver in and out quickly.
Did they want the boat? Jeremiah asked himself. It would almost seem that way. The peculiar way they waited. He also spotted someone in front of them. A big guy, looking like he was giving orders, pointing them towards key positions on the pier. Jeremiah knew then he couldn’t get any closer.
Ed and Curtis watched, as Jeremiah searched the pier frantically for them. They couldn’t give up their position too soon. They’d have to hold on.
“The only other way is for him to get closer enough to throw a lifeline.”
“He’s probably trying to figure that out.”
“Too many of them on the pier.”
“And, he has a better view than us. So, if he has to make a move, they’ll be all over him. And, then, they’re probably spreading out all along the pier. Waiting.”
“Damn. We need a diversion. We need to draw them away from the piers long enough for him to get closer.”
“That’s suicide.”
“That’s the way it is. The only way,” Curtis said as he started loading up his gun. He pointed towards the Avenue behind them and said, “I’ll take off running in that direction. They’ll spot me and that’ll give you enough time to signal-”
“No. That’ll give you… enough time.”
“Ed. No time for this hero shit.”
“You’re right. No time.” Ed picked up his gun and put out his hand to stop him. “Look. Before you guys leave the City, hang out around the Battery.”
“Downtown?”
“Yeah. Give me about… till the morning. I should be there. You can pick me up then.”
“Ed. Be careful. I’ll tell Jeremiah. And, we’ll be there.”
“Bet.” Ed climbed out from the spot they were hiding in and started shooting his gun at the creatures. All he heard next was their blood thirsty shrills, and it didn’t take long before a bunch of them ran his way.
Ed started running down Second Avenue. He knew he was going to need a place to duck into. Get out of sight for a minute. He looked behind him. He drew enough of them away from the pier and, hopefully, that would help out Curtis.
Suddenly, Jeremiah could see a bunch of them running away from the piers. He heard a shot earlier and figured that had to be from Curtis and Ed. He slowly drifted the ferry in that direction and spotted the glimmer of the flashlight that Curtis was flashing to get his attention.
He knew he would have to turn the ferry around and point it outward, and then toss a line out from the aft of the ferry. If he managed to maneuver it smartly, he’d be able to block the view of the ones who were still there at the pier, and they wouldn’t catch on to what he was doing. He started making the turn.
Curtis saw what he was trying to do and grabbed hold of the bags stocked with goods, then started making his way towards the shoreline. He ducked underneath some stone ridges for cover. Continuing to shine the flashlight on and off, letting Jeremiah know of his position every time he moved.
Ed ran into an office building and sealed the front door using a security desk. He ran up the stairs to an office overlooking the street; it also had good view of the pier. He could see everything.
He watched as Jeremiah maneuvered the ferry around. He also watched as he ran aft scrambling for the line. Ed thought to himself that maybe the plan just might work.
Finally, the ferry was turned and Curtis was in place. Jeremiah tossed the line. Curtis knew he’d have to swim some, but it was worth a shot. He secured the bag on his back and rushed towards the water. About halfway there, he was intercepted.
A group of creatures had come out from a patch of rocks that stood in the way between him and the shoreline. They rushed his way. Curtis turned and ran back, but his way back was also blocked off. He realized it was a trap. He’d been set up. But, by who? Then, he saw one of them point towards the line that Jeremiah had thrown. Several of them dived into the water after it.
Curtis tried fighting them off and managed to break free. He ran towards the shore and started calling out Jeremiah’s name, telling him to leave, but it was too late. A couple of the creatures managed to grab hold of the line. They started
climbing towards the boat.
Ed watched in horror as it all went down. He glanced over at the pier where they came in on, and one of the creatures was carrying a radio. He pointed the creatures towards the direction where Curtis was. He was actually organizing the whole thing. They had set up a trap to get the ferry.
It was too late for Jeremiah to do anything. By the time he maneuvered the ferry around, he dropped the anchor to keep it from moving and knew he had to pull it up. A few had already managed to make it onboard. He tried fighting them off with his machete. He broke off from them and ran towards the ledge. He looked over for Curtis.
The creatures already had him. They tore into his body, ripping him up in shreds. Jeremiah hung his head. Then, he turned, reached into his pocket for his revolver. Ready to fight, but then he thought about something. He ran upstairs towards the helm and secured the door, then started lifting the anchor from there automatically. Then, he pointed the shop towards the pier and pushed the throttle forward full steam ahead.
The boat lurched forward and started towards the pier at full power. Jeremiah turned. One had gotten in. He fought but more had managed to make it in also. They swarmed all over him.
Ed watched in horror as the ferry took off for the pier. At that speed and as big as it was, it was going to be catastrophic. For them and for Jeremiah. He watched as the creatures swarmed all over Curtis like ants, ripping him apart. He glanced towards the pier looking for the man thing that was calling the shots. He was gone. More than likely, he hauled ass to safety.
The ferry smashed into pier, and the momentum of the ship as it slammed into the pier shook buildings around it. Some of the creatures just stood there while steel beams tore through their skin. The whole front end of the ferry smashed into the concrete pier. Blood from the creatures was everywhere. Some even tried to move as their legs were shattered and arms twisted. It was a terrible sight.
Smoke started to come from the engine room. It looked as if a small fire had started. Jeremiah managed to make his way up top. He looked badly injured. And, as if they could tell what he might do next, the creatures turned his way and started after him. He ran back down the stairs and they ran after him. A good many gave chase. Ed could only watch. By the time he could make his way down there, it would be too late. He could only hold his head down and hope that Jeremiah kept a pistol there, so he could take his own self out before those creatures did.
But, then, all of a sudden, a few explosions took place underneath the deck: the boiler room. Then, another in what seemed like the engine room. Jeremiah didn’t need a gun. He had something better. A boiler room with enough fuel to blow the ferry sky high, right along with the creatures in it and the rest that were on the piers. Ed took cover, and it didn’t take long.
The ferry exploded. A big flume of smoke bellowed sky high as it started to sink into the blue-green murky waters. The explosion did exactly what it was supposed to do, killing a good many that had climbed onboard. And, it also killed many of the ones that were on the piers waiting for it.
Ed got up and looked. Body parts were strewn across the pier into the street. Some were even still moving. He looked again and then saw the bus they had come in on. A few people that were on it came out. They looked around at the destruction, and they called out to someone inside the bus. Whoever it was must have been pretty important to them because when he started coming out, they all stepped aside. And, she stepped out too. A tall, muscular, very well built woman wearing army fatigues and a white wife beater t-shirt. Ed squinted and realized that right after she stepped out, she called for someone. It was the same man he’d seen earlier. He must have been running the show down there. But how? Ed tried wrapping his mind around it all. If they were infected. How could they be able to control them? But, he remembered what Kalene had said. That this virus, 7.3000, allowed the infected to think… or something like that.
She started shouting at him or something. She even raised her hand to slap him, after she grabbed him by the collar. The strength she had was unbelievable. But, then, she let him go. Then, the man or creature, whatever it was, in charge started pointing the other creatures towards what was left of the ferry. The next thing you know, they were removing debris and trash away from it. As if they were trying to salvage it. And that’s exactly what they were doing too. Ed knew he couldn’t let that happen. No telling where they could go. Where they could attack. He had to stop them. But how? He had to do something, fast.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ed knew it would take a while, so he had to move fast. He found a garage and started rummaging in and out of vehicles, looking for one that was drivable. He finally found one, but he had to drag the stink decaying carcass that was probably once the owner out.
The stench inside was horrible but, once he got moving and opened all the windows, it at least became bearable.
His destination. Brooklyn. Bushwick Projects. He remembered that they still had access to the gas from the hospital. He figured if he could rig up one of the buses that they’d left behind, he might be able to make it into a gas bomb of sorts. Maybe that would be enough to sink the ferry and hopefully kill their plans.
But, it still weighed on his mind. Were the ones running things human? How did that happen?
About a block away from the projects, he seen that the area was in ruins. Bodies were all over the street. Dead. Half-eaten. Body parts. It was a massacre. He got further up to the building and noticed some activity around the doorway. Maybe somebody or someone was still around. He cruised slowly towards the building and then slowed down. A group of creatures. They were still eating on bodies. Somehow, they’d broke through the defenses that had been set up.
Ed stopped the bus. He crouched down on the floor. He was already across the street from the other bus and got the chance to look at it. It still seemed to be intact. He wondered, why they didn’t use it to escape?
His biggest problem was to find the couple of gallons of gas that they had accumulated. Where did they put them? He opened the door slightly and pulled back. He’d heard something. It was one of the creatures, and he spotted the bus. He looked around for some movement. Not seeing any, he continued to rummage through the dead flesh. Eating off carcasses like a vulture.
Ed pulled open the door slowly and, keeping his head down, he ran over to the other bus. He opened the door slightly. Nothing. That was good. He made his way inside quietly and started searching for the key. It wasn’t in the ignition. He reached under the seat and found nothing. Then, he heard a sound. He ducked down and reached for his gun and aimed towards the door. Someone; he looked harder. It was a teenaged boy and he was also crouched down. He was dirty and looked like he hadn’t eaten in a while. He spotted Ed and then reached into his pocket and pulled out some keys. “Looking for these?”
The bus keys. Ed eased towards him and asked, “Yeah. Who are you?”
“Alfonso. But, people call me Fonzo.”
“Did you live around here?”
He pointed to the other building by the one where Ed had stayed. “869.”
“Yeah, yeah. What happened here?”
“I remember you. I remembered the meeting about leaving.” He looked off and continued, “There was a big argument between the buildings. Some wanted to leave. To go where you went. So, they made a plan. But, your building felt that they should all leave first. The other members felt that if they did, then they would not come back for the rest of them,” he turned towards Ed, “like y’all did.”
“But, they wanted to stay.”
“Only a few…”
“So…” He pointed towards the buildings. “What happened?”
“Fighting. Double crossing each other. Then, one night, someone from the inside of your building bust opened the door from ours and all hell broke loose.”
Ed just shook his head. He had a good idea what had happened next. “They let the creatures in.”
“Yes.”
“But, what about the rest… of the bu
ildings?”
“They started fighting too.” He handed Ed the keys. “All, for this one bus.”
“Fools.”
“Yeah, but what happened with you? Your people?”
Ed could only look at the boy and shake his head. The boot looked off and he could see a tear run down his eye. He asked him. “You have any family?”
He shook his head no.
“Well. You might as well come with me. I’m going to need help to siphon all the gas we can find. Put it inside the other bus. Then, hopefully, find the other containers.”
“Then… do we leave?”
He looked at the boy and he finally smiled. “That’s the plan.” He’d finally saw a little hope in him. He turned back around and asked, “Why didn’t you leave? I mean, you had the keys.”
Fonzo looked up at him and said, “I don’t know how to drive.”
Quietly and very quickly, they set out for the task at hand. Ed gathered as many containers as he could find, and Fonzo started siphoning gas from out as many cars as he could, filling up the containers. Once they completed that, Ed found some scraps of rope and started tying down the containers inside the bus. Then, he fashioned some rags on top of each one. “Like a Molotov cocktail huh,” Fonzo said.
“But, way more potent.”
Once they had everything secured, Ed asked him, “You coming… or staying?”
Fonzo gazed around at the buildings. The neighborhood that he once considered home. The abandoned vehicles. Abandoned homes. Bodies that were left on the street. Some of them, people he knew. He thought about the destruction and horror that he’d witnessed firsthand and shook his head, turned towards Ed and asked him, “Where are you going?”
Ed also looked around, but not long before he answered, “To tell you the truth. Probably no place better than this. But, I’ll say this. If there is a better place. You better damn sure believe I’m going to find it.”
Then, Fonzo uttered, “Or, at least die trying.”
Ed stared at him a moment then said, “Well. Get your shit and let’s get the fuck outta here.”
